Scientists Arrive at Princess Elisabeth Antarctica

The first scientists of the 2013-2014 season have arrived at Princess Elisabeth Antarctica research station, to begin the four-month BELARE scientific research season.

This week's arrivals include German glaciologist Dr Reinhard Drews, based at Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), who makes his second trip to Princess Elisabeth Antarctica as part of his InBev Baillet Latour Antarctic Fellowship. Drews received the award for his project Be:Wise, which investigates how the potential disintegration of Antarctic floating ice shelves could contribute to increased ice flow from inland glaciers, and a resulting rise in global sea level [1].

Also at the station is Dr Nicholas Bergeot (France) from the royal Observatory of Belgium (ROB), who will install GPS antenna to track crust motion due to ice mass variation as part of the ongoing ICECON project at the station.

Alexander Mangold (Germany) of the Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium, returns to Antarctica to continue his long-term monitoring of the chemical and particle composition of the Antarctic atmosphere, ozone monitoring and of UV radiation.

A team of four scientists from Japan’s National Institute of Polar Research’s (NIPR) JARE-55 expedition are also due to arrive at Princess Elisabeth Antarctica this week.

During the 2013-2014 BELARE season, the zero emission Princess Elisabeth Antarctica will host scientists working in the fields of atmospheric science, glaciology, meteorology, geology, and, from several different countries, including large from Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Japan [2].

“The International Polar Foundation is proud to welcome polar scientists who make the journey to Princess Elisabeth Antarctica, and to support their endeavours so that we may better understand the Earth and its mechanisms.” said expedition leader Alain Hubert, at the zero emission polar research station.

BE:WISE: Research on buttressing effects on ice shelves (ULB) – Dr Reinhard Drews and Lionel Favier will work on the Antarctic coast, funded by the InBev Baillet Latour Antarctic Fellowship.

BELATMOS - Ozone, UV radiation and atmospheric composition - Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute (RMI). Dr. Alexander Mangold will maintain the existing atmospheric observatory instrumentation and will install a new aerosol instrument during this summer season. In addition, the possibility to do filter sampling for aerosol chemical analysis will be tested. Funded by BELSPO.

JARE-55: National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) team from Japan will carry out absolute gravimeter readings, as well as a reconnaissance flight over the Belgica Mountains.

GIANT-LISSA: Dr Denis Lombardi from Royal Observatory of Belgium will engage in setting up a seismometer transect across the western Sor Rondane mountains.

AWS AIR, AWS GUN– Simon Steffen of Swiss Institute for Forests, Snow and Ice (WSL) of a new Automatic Weather Station at the Romnoes Blue Icefield, donated to the International Polar Foundation by the University of Colorado and WSL in Zurich. Two more AWS will be equipped with Argos antennae.

GEOMAG project: Site survey for installation of radome for the geomagnetic observatory. Jean Rasson from IRM Dourbes in Belgium carrying out survey in preparation for construction of geomagnetic observatory next season.

ACME: Launch Radio sounding balloon to investigate the water vapour in the air column rising up to the troposphere. Partnership between International Polar Foundation, Swiss Institute for Forests, Snow and Ice and IRM.